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Enough with the "former Archers of Loaf frontman" thing. By now, four albums and one haunting EP into Crooked Fingers, former Asheville kid and Chapel Hill townie Eric Bachmann's reputation as a songwriter exists apart from AoL for good reason: Bachmann's dark songwriting and full, deep voice recall both Springsteen and Waits, finding characters and conundrums that defy perseverance and bust up hearts with pleasure. But, like both antecedents, he enjoys peaking through to the bright side when life calls for it, as on his latest, Dignity and Shame. "Love's a fine thing to take a chance on," he sings. That's miles away from "I know you would never cheat with anyone but me" from 2003's "Sweet Marie," but hey, don't bust on somebody's happiness. He goes it alone Sunday, Sept. 18 at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro, with Pawnshop Ruby opening at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.